The Aeternity project is certainly an ambitious project. The project aims to address some of the most important issues that are causing the current blockchain technology.
Having smart channels of government channels and decentralized secrets means that many businesses can enter into contracts without having to worry about congestion and privacy.
They also seem to be moving forward with consistent speed as regular updates and commitment can be demonstrated. It is also possible to appreciate highly skilled team members who are forging ahead of the Aeternity project. It seems to be one of the most qualified blockchain project team.
However, it would be naive to assume that Aeternity would be the smartest blockchain contract to challenge the Ethereum dominance. From NEO to EOS and Zilliqa, there are a number of ambitious projects that are taking steps in the blockchain scale.